The Terps head to Corpus Christi, Texas to face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Pittsburgh and Washington.
Maryland baseball is in Corpus Christi, Texas, to face three opponents in the Kleberg Bank College Classic.
Maryland is coming off a dominant 14-3 win in its recent midweek matchup against Mount St. Mary’s. The Terps enter this weekend with a 3-1 record.
Joining Maryland at the Kleberg Bank College Classic are Washington, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Pittsburgh.
To start, Maryland will face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Friday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. On Saturday, the Terps will play Pittsburgh at 3 p.m. before facing Washington at 12 p.m. on Sunday.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (3-3)
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi faced four different opponents in the first week of its season. The Islanders started their season competing in the SFA Tournament against Central Michigan and Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, Texas, where they took two games against Central Michigan and lost two to Stephen F. Austin. They also played two weekday games against Kansas and Texas Southern, losing to the Jayhawks but beating the Tigers.
Kenny Lippman will start on the mound for Maryland against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Friday, with Matthew Watson starting for the Islanders.
Pittsburgh (3-0)
Pittsburgh has played one weekend series thus far in 2024. The Panthers swept Maine in Port Charlotte, Florida, over the span of two days. It was the first time Pittsburgh swept its opening series since 2013.
Logan Koester will be on the bump for Maryland on Saturday. Expect Ryan Andrade, Ryan Reed or Jack Sokol to start for the Panthers.
Washington (0-2-1)
Maryland will face Washington — a future Big Ten opponent — on Sunday. The Huskies went winless in their first weekend series, recording two losses and a tie at Long Beach State. The Huskies and Dirtbags ended up playing 34 innings over the weekend, including Sunday’s 17-inning tie. Washington used five pitchers in that game, four of which went more than three innings.
Washington only hit one home run in its three games over the weekend.
Maryland is expected to call on Meade Johnson to start on Sunday, looking for a bounce-back performance. Spencer Dessart is a prime candidate to start for Washington.
Three things to watch
1. Maryland’s momentum. Maryland scored 14 runs on Tuesday against Mount St. Mary’s. All three opponents Maryland will face this weekend are better than the Mountaineers, but Maryland still hopes to take its momentum and run with it this weekend.
2. Can the Terps slow down some potent offenses? Maryland hasn’t yet faced an offense as good as the three it will this weekend. The Terps’ pitching is still a major question, but this is the first test for the staff to prove it shouldn’t be an uncertainty.
3. Freshmen contributing. Maryland has had some freshmen step up early this season. Brayden Martin and Chris Hacopian have started every game, making immediate impacts. Maryland will need both players to have strong weekends for it to be a successful trip to Texas.